The Tree of Humanity Walking Stick.

This has been occupying much of my spare time during the last 6 months. I grew the wood, made all the knives and chisels used and did all the carving. The wood is Sycamore. The smallest face is about the size of a small finger nail and the largest is about 75 mm high.

The stick depicts a vine like tree growing from the bottom to top. The origin of man, somewhat like a Neanderthal, is represented at the top and all types of modern and medieval people down the top half. The faces then become more abstract and primitive for the next quarter till they reach the representation of the ground at the top of the bottom quarter. The vine/trees then break up into roots with various faces, bones and stones, as may be found in an archeology sites, scattered amongst them.

As I have progressed I have had to keep developing new knives to deal with the challenges faced. For example some very small, thin, stiff knives were needed to cut the fine detail on the small faces. I find normal ones, such as the commercial versions, too thick and tend to push the wood sideways and break off. Some features are only 1mm wide and 1 mm deep. Therefore any sideways pressure will cause them to break away on a wood like Sycamore. Getting small and stiff and strong-ish steel is quite a challenge. Flexible makes for poor carving and brittle causes the blade to break. My versions are based on eye surgeons’ scalpels but are stiffer. I also use 3.5 times magnification glasses with a further 1.75 times head mounted viewers. Works fine but my eyes give up after about an hour.

Hope you like it. I am entering it in a competition next week and am crossing my fingers for a good result.

This is excellent work. The idea is dreamlike in conception and execution, and the fact that you made your own tools to do it, for me and I would guess many members of this site, adds to the excellence of this piece. Thanks for posting,Birks

Thank you everyone for the kind comments. I need some suggestions for the next one. I have been toying with the idea of a Grinling Gibbons like fruit and vegetables one or perhaps my family history. Not sold on either yet.

John, don’t hope – be sure, I like it very much. I know and appreciate how much it is difficult to curve small scales. I like the idea behind the curving and the result is marvelous. good luck with the competition.

Nice work. I like the execution with the theme in mind throughout all of it. A possible suggestion? How about considering the life stages of a butterfly or something else in nature? Since the medium is organic, then perhaps the theme should represent something else in nature. Just a thought – keep up the beautiful work and thanks so much for sharing.